Ginny Weasley, writer
by Katarina Freeman
Summary: Ginny starts writing her own Hogwarts "matches." But alas, Draco gets his hands on the story. Will Ginny get it back? Will she confess to Harry that she loves him? Will Hogwarts ever see good food again? (Trust me, you'll like this fic)
1. Asperagus and Liver Oil

**Disclaimer:** All characters belong to J.K. Rowling, etc. The best disclaimer I ever heard went something like, "Nothing in this belongs to me, but the blood, sweat, and tears."  
  
OK, bare with me folks. I'm an independent Harry Potter fan, in that I've had little contact with other fans. So I'm not trying to break any rules, or bring up old debates or anything. I just had an idea for a story and wanted to write it. Wow, that sounds friendly. lol. Please r&r! :-)  
  
  
**Chapter 1: Asparagus and Liver Oil**  
  
    It was a Sunday evening, and Ginny was hardly paying attention to the asparagus with a side of Liver Oil that lay in the middle of her plate. She was staring up at the ceiling of the great hall, which was showing the deepest red sunset she had ever seen.  
  
    Deep, like my love for you... she thought as she moved her gaze to the boy at the other end of the table. He had untidy dark hair, bright green eyes, and round glasses with tape round the band - Harry Potter.  
    She made a mental note to scribble down her sunset metaphor. All that year, she had been writing stories - stories about herself, stories about Hogwarts, and the people there. She had gotten the idea while listening to her mother's - Mrs. Weasley's - program on Wizarding Wireless Network one morning. The announcer had gone on about the monotony of every day life, until finally saying, "wouldn't it be nice to add a little spice to your life? Try our all new Spontaneity potion - for only three easy payments of 10 knuts each!"  
    Later that day she had been hurried up to her room to study for the coming year, but something about the announcer's voice stuck with her. Instead of taking notes on the differences between Warlocks and Wizards, she had scribbled, "What if" inside a badly-drawn Hogwarts shield. Then she had the urge to continue the sentence. The first thing that came to her mind was "What if Harry loved me?" But she pushed that from her mind right away. Who was she kidding? But... Fred sort of liked that Angelina girl, she'd thought. Before long, she had written a nice little story about the two of them. Quite a good story, she thought. But she burned it later that night, fearing Fred might find it.  
    As the summer went on she continued her written fantasies. The best ones she kept, and couldn't bear to throw in the flames. By the time school came about, she had abandoned the "common matches," as she thought of them, and went on to such curious romances as the one she wrote about Peeves and Alicia Spinnet.  
    But she had always put off the one story she truly wanted to write - the one about her and Harry Potter. She had finally resolved to write it, and had devoted her mind to its plot for the past three days, not wanting to ruin a thing.  
    Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted when Neville, a round faced boy a year older than her, came skidding up to the table, panting.  
    "Peeves - oil - slipped in the hall." he managed to get out. Ginny nodded sympathetically. Peeves the poltergeist had long been a thorn in the side of practically everyone at Hogwarts - except for the Bloody Baron, the Slytherin ghost, though nobody knew why.  
    Neville took a seat next to her, and grimaced at the food. "What is it?" he asked, prodding the long green vegetables. "Ugh, liver oil. My grandmother used to make me drink this stuff."  
    Ginny smiled as he picked up an asparagus and sniffed it. Ever since he had asked her to the Yule Ball last Christmas, they had become close friends. He pushed his plate to the center of the table, and took a piece of celery from the vegetable dish.  
    "Pass the carrots?" a feminine, slightly commanding voice said. Ginny turned to see Hermione Granger receive a bowl of carrot sticks, along with a grudging glare from a boy with bright red hair, much like Ginny's own. He was her brother, Ron, and hadn't been terribly friendly to Hermione this year. In fact, nobody had. They didn't hate her, but no one was very pleased with her "revolutionary ideas" for Hogwarts. Ginny had been in the train compartment with her, Ron, and Harry on the way to Hogwarts that August.  
    "You know, I did some reading over the summer." Hermione had begun.  
    "Uh oh," Ron had whispered. "There's always trouble when she starts off with that."  
    "I've found that the wizard longevity is much greater than that of muggles."  
    "Big shocker there. Look at Dumbledore, he's what 200?" Ron yawned.  
    Hermione ignored him. "I've also found that wizards consume more sweets than the average muggle... magical ones, of course, but unhealthy nonetheless." She saw the look Harry was giving her and continued, "My parents asked." Then she added for Ginny, "They're dentists."  
    "Well, just goes to show all that chocolate can do you some good," Ron said enthusiastically.  
    "Actually, no." Hermione rummaged through her bag to remove a handsome leather-bound book. The spine read, "Statistical Studies of Magical Britain: 1996-7."  
    "You see, I found that wizards and witches who don't eat sweets can live up to twice the normal expectancy."  
    Ron was gaping at the book. "You read that?"  
    Hermione shrugged. "Not all of it. Just a few sections."  
    Ron flipped through "a few sections" and shook his head, handing the book back to her. Hermione looked like she wanted to say more, but just then the candy cart came through, and the boys wouldn't hear another word of the consequences of "consuming extra carbohydrates."  
    None of them had thought much of it, until they arrived at Hogwarts that night. The train ride always made them especially hungry, and they looked forward to the opening feast.  
    By the time the Sorting Ceremony was over, they were positively drooling over the prospect of a meal. Harry sat, fork at ready. "I hope you all enjoy the feast this year," Dumbledore had said from his seat at the center of the staff table. "It should be especially - er - nutritious this year. The menu was recommended by a student and their parents as an experiment. Now, enjoy!"  
    But the burst of good smells they had been so accustomed to was not to be had - instead, mountains of steamed cabbage and pickled beets materialized before their eyes.  
    Many students recoiled in horror, and one looked quite sick. Harry, realizing he had speared a cauliflower and not a juicy piece of chicken, dropped his fork on the plate.  
    "What - happened?" he breathed.  
    Down the table, Fred and George were making faces as they held up the limp, smelly leaves of cabbage. But Ron was staring, awestruck at Hermione.  
    "You wouldn't," he mouthed. Hermione blushed, and tried to stomach her fried peas with a smile.  
    At first, nobody could believe this was their feast. They all thought there had been some terrible mistake. But as the teachers ate their food, some grimacing and gulping down excess amounts of drink, panic set it. Some outright refused to eat, while others claimed they weren't hungry. As the meals went on, however, the students got past their initial revulsion as hunger took over, and began to eat.  
    Even Fred and George couldn't sneak sweets from the kitchen. They reported loudly near Hermione that the house elves were upset because nobody liked their cooking anymore, but said they had strict orders to only cook health food.  
    To everyone's great relief, the Halloween feast was filled with all the usual sweets, and students stuffed themselves doubly so. Even Professor McGonagall could be seen forcing multiple Chocolate Frogs into her mouth.  
    It made the next meal all the worse, having eaten such a delicious feast and then returned to bland and bitter vegetables. While nobody knew for sure that Hermione had been the one to recommend the change in diet (Harry, Ron, and Ginny had all sworn themselves to secrecy), they all suspected her and it was not until past the new year that she could walk down the hallways without receiving many a nasty glance.  
  
    "Eurgh!" Neville coughed, and stuck out his tongue. Traces of Liver Oil could be seen dripping down it. "I'd forgotten how nasty that is - I imagine Peeve's oil would've tasted better!"  
    Neville tried to wipe the oil from his mouth by drinking his goblet of cider in one gulp, but judging by the look on his face the rest of that evening, the taste never quite went away.  
    The pack of Gryffindors finished eating, and headed off for the tower. As they passed the Slytherin table, however, Draco Malfoy tugged at Neville's sleeve.  
    Draco was about as nasty as Peeves, but while Peeves loved chaos, Draco seemed to thrive on torturing Harry and his friends in particular. It was well-known that Slytherin and Gryffindor were rival houses, and Harry and Draco illustrated this perfectly.  
    "Malfoy, what do you want?" Harry said, suddenly next to Neville.  
    Malfoy squinted up at him. "Who are you?" he said, trying to make his voice sound quivery. "Are you with this other boy here... the one they say is our son?"  
    Neville clenched his jaw so fast he bit his lip. He pulled out of Malfoy's grasp, and stepped back.  
    "Draco, don't talk about my parents..." he said through gritted, bloody teeth. Neville's parents had once had to face Voldemort, and had been tortured for information. While still living, they had been driven mad by the Cruciatus curse, a curse which caused nothing but pain. Neville only had the chance to visit them once a year, with his grandmother. When he did see them, they didn't even recognize him.  
    "Your parents?" Malfoy went on. "Come now, you're confusing me... OH!" he suddenly shrieked, though under his breath so the teachers couldn't hear. "The pain! They're doing it again! Oooh, ow!"  
    Neville took a step forward, opening his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.  
    "Come on!" Hermione hissed, taking him by the hand and leading him away.  
    Harry was about to yell at Draco, but Ginny spoke up first.  
    "You're terrible!" she said a little too loudly, and a few of the teachers looked up. "You know that, don't you? The only reason you have friends is because... they're... they're terrible too!"  
    Crabbe and Goyle, who had been sniggering at Malfoy's act, were now glaring at her. Malfoy just yawned.  
    "Oh come now, I'm just trying to make him feel like family."     That did it for Ginny. Pursing her lips, she walked forward to punch him, slap him, anything to cause him pain... but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and saw it was Harry.  
    Suddenly turning pink, she stopped dead in her tracks.  
    "Come on Ginny, let's not waste our time with them," he said coolly. But it wasn't just the threat of time wasted... Professors McGonagall and Snape were staring straight at them now, ready to break up a fight and hand out detentions.  
  


***

  
  
    "They really are awful," Ginny said as the two of them left the Great Hall.  
    Harry nodded. "What I wonder is, how do they know about Neville's parents? He hasn't exactly told anyone."  
    Ginny, who was still briskly walking off her anger, replied, "He overheard Neville and I talking about it. Since then they haven't left him alone."  
    When they reached to Fat Lady's portrait (the way into the Gryffindor tower), they came upon Hermione, who was talking to Neville.  
    "...and if they bother you again, just don't say anything. Ignore them. They'll get bored of it eventually and- oh, hi," she looked up when she saw the other two approaching. Neville was still looking quite disturbed. He muttered the password (Flemish Meatballs), and headed inside.  
    Hermione sighed, gave the other two a look meaning "don't talk to him about it," and followed. 


	2. Potions Notes

**Chapter 2: Potions Notes**  
  
    By the next morning, Neville seemed to have recovered and taken Hermione's advice to heart. When Draco muttered "Who are you?" to him at breakfast, he kept walking. He had a rather closed expression, but once he was sitting down and eating, he became his normal cheery self again.  
    After breakfast, Ginny headed off to Muggle Studies as the others went to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ginny sighed. Although she was glad to have them as friends, she was constantly reminded she was a year younger, and couldn't take the same classes with them. So instead of listening to the lesson, she spent most of it sketching a willow tree on the back of her latest story, which she had stuffed inside one of her textbooks.  
    After History, she met up with them at lunch again. Ron, to everyone's surprise, was scarfing down his avocado. Apparently he had found a vegetable he liked... though the rest of the school seemed thoroughly disgusted. All but one Ravenclaw girl. She had traveled all the way over to the Gryffindor table to ask if they had extra.  
    Ginny didn't see her at first, but saw her face reflect in Harry's glasses as he stared at someone just over her shoulder. Ginny turned to see Cho Chang smiling at Ron.  
    "Oh good, someone else is enjoying the food... they all think I'm crazy for liking this stuff, you know."  
    Was it Ginny's imagination, or had Harry just started shoveling avocado into his mouth?  
    Cho took a plate from the Hufflepuff table instead. After lunch they cleared out, and were separating as they headed off to their different classes. Harry waved to Neville and Ginny as he went off to his class.  
    "Yeah, bye Harry," Ginny said. She and Neville (who was speaking animatedly about his Herbology lesson) continued their walk. Ginny didn't listen to Neville, but rested her chin on the spine of her book and thought of Harry. He was so perfect, he was. And he didn't know it, or brag about it even. She frowned as she thought of that 6th year, Cho. She didn't deserve him, she didn't appreciate him-  
    Just then they rounded a corner, and Ginny was so concentrated on her thoughts that she didn't see Crabbe as they hit head on.  
    "Oh!" she exclaimed, and her books went flying. She looked up to see Crabbe looking confused, and Draco scowling at her.  
    "Why don't you watch where you're going, Weasley?" he said. Goyle glared down at her as she reached for the books, cheeks burning. Draco continued, "Or are you too cheap to pay attention?"  
    Neville was standing off to the side, fists balled up but silent. He wore the same closed expression Ginny had seen earlier.  
    Draco had apparently noticed too - he stepped on Ginny's fallen books on his way to Neville.  
    "Decided to give up on trying to think of witty comebacks? Why Longbottom, that's the smartest thing you've done this year. Ah well, I'd love to stay, but we'd be late for Divination." He looked to Crabbe and Goyle - the former just now realizing he had collided with another student - and motioned for them to follow.  
    But as Ginny was gathering her books, a sheet of parchment fell from "Hogwarts, a History." Before she had time to grab it, Malfoy had snatched it up.  
    "Give that back!" she snapped automatically. But then she saw the back, saw the willow sketch, and the color drained from her face. "Give. That. Back." she said again, with new force.  
    "Something interesting, then?" Draco said, quirking an eyebrow and holding the parchment out in front of him.  
    Just then they heard the slower tread of one of the professors, and Ginny could see the end of a billowy black cape around the corner. She froze. If it was McGonagall, she would make Malfoy return the paper. But if it was Snape...  
    "Please don't let it be Snape, please..." she muttered as they all watched.  
    It was Snape.  
    He stopped, looking very irritated at the gathering in the hall.  
    "What's the hold up?" he said shortly.  
    "Please Professor, he took my-" Ginny began.  
    "Oh come now Gin - you know you just want my notes from potions so you can cheat on that exam," Draco half-yawned.  
    Snape glared down at Ginny, who was speechless. She had seen Draco bully Harry around, but Harry had always been braced for it, had always faced it bravely. But how could she- when they outright lied... it wasn't fair!  
    "Miss Weasley, I'll have you know cheating is taken very seriously at this school. 30 points from Gryffindor, and-"  
    "It's not true!" She blurted out. Snape's lip curled a bit, as he wasn't used to being interrupted. But to her surprise, he looked up at the three Slytherins.  
    "Malfoy, are those really your potions notes?" he said.  
    Draco nodded innocently. "Yes Professor."  
    "Well then," he said icily, turning back to Ginny. "Unless you have anyone to back up your story, I see no reason not to trust mister Malfoy here."  
    Ginny stood, gaping at the injustice of it all. She felt her stomach turn as she went through Harry's reaction to the story, as Draco would certainly show it to him. And not just Harry... she had matched up Dumbledore with Professor Trelawny, and Hagrid with Fleur, and - she felt her stomach give another twist - McGonagall with Snape. He was still staring down at her, waiting for a reply. Now trembling slightly, she looked down at the floor. But then a beam of hope struck her mind - Neville!  
    He was still standing quietly to the side, oddly removed from the scene.  
    "N-neville tell him that's my parchment," she stammered.  
    But Neville looked at the ceiling, as though he hadn't heard. Snape allowed him time to reply, but he just scuffed his shoe and swallowed.  
    "Neville?" Ginny pleaded.  
    "Take another 10 points from Gryffindor," Snape said, "for lying."  
    "But-" Ginny began, feeling panic set in.  
    "And if you interrupt me again," Snape raised his voice slightly, "I will take another 10 points." His eyes darted from Ginny to Draco. "Good day to you." It was not a friendly farewell.  
    Once Snape had left earshot, the three Slytherins broke into insane giggles.  
    "Come on guys," Draco said as he started off toward Divination. "I can't wait to get back to the dorm, so we can study our potions notes..." and with another hoot of laughter, they were gone.  
    "I'm sor-" Neville began, but he never finished his sentence, because just then Ginny's hand hit him across the face very hard. She stormed off, clutching her books, her sobs echoing through the halls.  
  


***

  
    "What's up with her?" George said later that evening at dinner, pointing to Ginny.  
    Ron took a moment to finish forcing some broccoli down, before asking "why?"  
    "Well look at her!" Fred motioned with his goblet. "She almost looks sick, and hasn't touched her food yet!" He pushed his green beans to the far side of his plate and added, "Though I can't say I blame her."  
    Hermione was looking at Ginny thoughtfully. "You know it's funny, I haven't seen Neville since Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning," she mused before sliding some beans into her mouth.  
    Ron grimaced. "You don't think he and Gin like each other again, do you?"  
    They all turned to him.  
    "What?" he looked around. "They went to the Yule Ball together last year, didn't they?"  
    Hermione snorted. "You went with Padma, and you don't like her, now do you?"  
    "Maybe we should take her to Madam Pomfrey?" Harry spoke up for the first time. He received shrugs from the three other boys, and a concerned nod from Hermione.  
    Neville showed up later, just as people were beginning to clear away. He didn't speak to anyone, but looked nervously at Ginny from time to time. When Harry finally spoke to him, he jumped so high that his knee banged the table and his pumpkin juice spilled.  
    "All right, Neville?"  
    "Yeah, fine!" he said, a little too brightly.  
    Hermione eyed him suspiciously. "You're not letting Malfoy get to you, are you Neville?" she said. "You know what I said..."  
    "Yeah," he said, his forced smile disappearing from his face. "I took your advice."  
    Ginny stood up suddenly, and practically ran off to the dorm. As she passed the Slytherin table, Harry noticed, Draco and his gang laughed and made a loud remark about studying potion notes.  
    "Oh, I'd better get started on my potions notes, too," Hermione muttered. "Exams in two months."  
  


***

  
    In the dormitory, Ginny sat hugging her knees. How could she have been so stupid? If she hadn't written those stories, Draco never would've gotten a hold of them. She should've left them in her head where they belonged. Oh, and she just had to put her name on them. "By Ginny Weasley," in bold pink letters. She cringed as the image of Harry's shocked and upset face flashed across her vision again, followed by the other characters she had so cleverly brought together in her Hogwarts love story.  
    "Ginny?" she heard a familiar voice. Hermione pushed the door open and Ginny could hear her walk across the stone floor. "Hermione with Ron," she thought with a sickening feeling.  
    "Ginny, what's wrong?" Hermione sat down next to her. Ginny looked up. Hermione was her friend now... but once the story got out...  
    "You don't have to tell me, but you don't look well and you haven't eaten. Here-" she opened a napkin containing a cherry danish. Ginny's eyes widened, and she glanced nervously at the door. If anyone caught wind that they had actual good food, dessert even...  
    "It's alright," Hermione smiled. "I made sure nobody saw it. Besides, if anyone saw ME carrying around junk food, I'd never hear the end of it."  
    Ginny took the danish, smiling a little. She began to pick at it, at first only peeling off crust and letting it melt in her mouth, but before long she was eating ravenously and it was gone.  
    Feeling she ought to say something to Hermione, who had gone to all that trouble to get her the danish, she cleared her throat. "I hit Neville."  
    It wasn't what she had expected to say, but the words were out before she could stop them. Hermione just kept looking at her, waiting for the rest.  
    "Draco took something from me. Something I don't want anyone to read - and Snape, oh Snape let him keep it!" she felt her cheeks turning red again. She waited for Hermione to ask what Draco had taken, but she didn't. "And... and he took 40 points from Gryffindor, because Draco told him the paper was HIS, that it was his notes, and I was trying to steal it so I could cheat on the exams!"  
    "That's terrible," Hermione hissed, trying to sound soothing. She held back her loathing of Snape, allowing Ginny to continue.  
    "Professor Snape said unless someone would back up my story, he'd give it to Draco, and Neville just... he just stood there!" Ginny shrieked, unable to contain her hysteria anymore. She expected to feel tears upon her face, but instead she felt only that sharp jab of panic again, and a burning anger toward Neville. She sat on the bed, shaking.  
    Hermione was silent. When Ginny looked over she could see she was biting her lip, not like she did when she was trying to solve an Arithmancy problem, but the way she did when she was troubled. She often wore it just before going off with Ron and Harry, in a split second hesitation, a reluctance to getting in trouble-  
    That gave Ginny an idea.  
    "Hermione..." she began, but stopped. She needed to speak to Harry alone if this was going to work. As much as she liked Hermione, she couldn't be there when she and Harry spoke.  
    So instead she smiled faintly and thanked her for listening, and bringing the danish (Hermione burned the incriminating napkin).  
  


***

  
    "Checkmate!" George said quickly, his eyes widening. "Checkmate checkmate CHECKMATE!"  
    Harry tried not to laugh as his friend stared, dumbstruck at the chessboard. Ron was the undisputed Hogwarts chess champion, and he had a feeling George wouldn't let anybody hear the end of this.  
    "But your... your knight was going to... and then my pawn would..." Ron leaned back in his chair, and knocked his king over, still in disbelief. The king, which had been looking as shocked as Ron, grunted as he hit the board. The other pieces rushed over to help him, looking scandalized.  
    George, on the other hand, was receiving heartfelt applause from Fred and Jordan, while Seamus clapped him on the back. Hermione walked through the door to the common room, and George ran over to her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and half shouted at her "The Master IS mortal!" and collapsed triumphantly in a chair by the fire.  
    "I just can't believe it..." Ron continued, but Harry was looking up at Hermione.  
    "I think she's OK," Hermione said when she had safely crossed the room. "Have you talked to Neville yet?"  
    Harry felt a twinge of guilt. Neville had also retired early, and Harry had meant to go speak to him, but the chess game had been intense.  
    "Not yet," he said. "But I'm just going up now."  
    Harry left Ron to his babbling stupor ("I was sure his knight was going to go for that bishop..."), and headed up the stairs to the shared room. He could see Neville sitting by the window.  
    Harry smiled amicably. "All right Neville?"  
    "Yeah," he sighed. "Your owl brought you a letter." He pointed to the bed.  
    Hedwig looked expectantly at Harry, who left Neville for the moment to read his mail. As he untied to parchment from Hedwig's foot, she nipped at the letter.  
    "No Hedwig, the string, not the letter," Harry said angrily, as she took a piece out of the parchment.  
    Hedwig stared at the letter a moment, seemingly anxious, but then flew to her stand and began to preen. Harry watched her go, but opened the letter quickly.  
  
        Harry,  
  
        Meet me in the common room tonight at midnight.  
        Don't tell Ron or Hermione, this is important.  
  
                Sirius  
  
            P.S. Bring your cloak.  
  
    Harry adjusted his glasses, making sure he'd read right. Sirius had never asked to speak to him alone, without his friends there. And there had been no warning of anything serious - if Sirius was risking a break in to a fireplace, or worse, into Hogwarts, it must be bad. And why did he want the cloak?  
    All but forgetting Neville, Harry sat down on the bed with the note. So far, nothing unusual had happened at Hogwarts that year, save the "thinning down" of its population from eating Hermione's vegetables.  
    Neville stood from his spot by the window, and got into his own bed. Harry put the note down.  
    "Hey Neville?"  
    "Yeah Harry?"  
    "You OK?" Harry asked.  
    In the candle light, Harry could see Neville's round face nod. "I'm fine," he said, and left it at that.  
    Harry took a trip to the common room to reassure Hermione, and escort Ron back up to their room. It was easy sneaking back down to the common room, between Neville's snores and Ron's fitful chess dream.  
    As he walked down the stairs, he couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with that letter. After all, Hedwig hadn't liked it, and it didn't seem like Sirius to leave Ron and Hermione out of things. Harry decided to keep his cloak on and let Sirius come to him.  
    He tiptoed into the common room and waited by the fire. He waited a long time, and grew so tired he could no longer stifle his yawns.  
    "Harry?" a soft voice called out from the couch, after a particularly audible yawn.  
    Harry stood absolutely still. That was definitely not Sirius's voice. In fact, it sounded like...  
    "Harry, it's Ginny. It's OK."  
    Harry waited, motionless. He could hear the footsteps come nearer, Ginny would soon bump into him-  
    "Harry, I know about the cloak. You can take it off."  
    Harry turned, and took off the cloak. Ginny started. She had been looking a little to the left, but not far off from where he had been.  
    "How do you know?" he demanded, wondering if Sirius was there, waiting for Ginny to leave all that time.  
    "I..." she seemed a bit taken aback at his severe tone. "I've seen you and Ron and Hermione sneak out before. I sent you that note, not Sirius."  
    Harry's eyes widened under his glasses. "You haven't told anyone about him, have you?" he said, traces of panic in his voice.  
    "No!" she said, not happy at where this was going. "I overheard my mum and dad talking about him, and how he's your godfather and all. They made me swear never to tell anyone."  
    Harry relaxed a bit, but he still frowned at her. "You scared me to death, Ginny. If you wanted to speak to me, you could've just said so."  
    Ginny looked down at her feet. Harry thought he could see her blushing.  
    "You would've told Ron and Hermione, even if I'd told you not to. And you can't. What I have to do needs to be a secret." She looked up, trying to gauge Harry's expression.  
    "What are you planning on doing?" he asked, shifting the cloak to his other arm.  
    "I..." she considered telling him a moment, confessing the whole story, about her fiction and how she truly loved him-  
    "I can't tell you," she said firmly. "But I need to borrow the invisibility cloak."  
    Harry looked down suddenly at the cloak. It had been his father's, and so useful for the past four years... he had lent the Marauder's Map to Moody once - Crouch, he corrected himself - but that had been different.  
    Seeing his expression and her chances at the cloak slipping away, Ginny continued shakily. "If I can't do what I need to, I've decided... I'm going to run away."  
    "What? Surely you're not-"  
    "I'm serious," she gulped. "I decided while I was sitting here waiting for you. I can't stay at Hogwarts if this doesn't go right, and please don't ask me what it's about!"  
    Harry looked down at her. He did for what seemed like an eternity. Normally she would've been ecstatic at his eyes upon hers for so long, but now, under his judgmental gaze, she felt very small.  
    "It's pretty bad, huh?" he said at last.  
    Ginny nodded.  
    "You're sure you can't tell me what it is you're doing?" he asked, fingering the cloak's silvery material.  
    "No. And you can't tell Ron or Hermione or anyone that I borrowed it."  
    "Well... alright then," he said, handing her the cloak reluctantly. Dumbledore had written, "Use it well," on the note when he'd received it years ago... he wondered if Ginny's quest was worthy. But, he realized, if it would keep Ginny from running away, he would gladly destroy the cloak himself. Well, maybe not gladly... but he would do it.  
    "Oh thank you!" she said, and Harry thought he could see the firelight reflecting in tears in her eyes. But she donned the cloak so quickly that he'd never know.  
    "Just be careful..." he warned. "People can still hear you, and feel you. It's an easy thing to forget when you're invisible."     "Thank you Harry," he heard her whisper from the door. He couldn't help smiling as he walked back to his room. She sounded like she truly meant it.  



	3. Fruitless

**Chapter 3: Fruitless**  
  
    "Going out again?" the Fat Lady said as Ginny closed the portrait that was the door to the Gryffindor common room. The painting sighed. "Well, just be sure to close me when you get back, too. Last time you left me hanging wide open..."  
    Ginny didn't say a word. She didn't know if Harry had ever spoken to the woman in the picture while invisible, but she wanted to keep a low profile.  
    The castle was quite dark at night - only the torches lit the hallways, casting eerie flickering shadows against the walls. Ginny crept down to the first floor, and headed for the Slytherin area... but she noticed the door to the Great Hall seemed to be glowing, as though there was some faint light just behind the opening. Cautiously, she pushed the door open and poked her head through.  
    Inside, it seemed brighter than the rest of the castle. Two torches stood at the ends of the staff table, glowing blue. Ginny took a few steps in, and took off Harry's invisibility cloak. She walked down the space between tables, and had to restrain her wand hand from casting a good Sticking Charm on Malfoy's usual seat.  
    The strange but beautiful lighting of the room put her at ease. She took one last glance around, and froze. As she stared at the ceiling, she felt as though she might fall off the edge of the world. She had never seen the stars so bright. She felt her legs to make sure she was still there, and hadn't been swallowed up by the engulfing view.  
    Slowly, she let her gaze fall back down to the hall, which steadied her a bit. She had only seen the Great Hall at night once before, during her first year. The basilisk had been roaming the school - though SHE hadn't been in any real danger of it - and they had all been sent to the large room to spend the night in safety.  
    Ginny shuddered as she remembered the creature. Tom Riddle - a younger version of Voldemort, trapped in a diary - had entered her mind and controlled her actions, setting the beast on the school. But, she realized, she only knew the way to the Slytherin section because part of Tom's memory stayed with her. At least something good had come of that whole disaster.  
    Ginny was about to open the door again, when she heard humming from a ways behind her. She turned to see Peeves glide through the wall, and swoop down to inspect the glowing torches.  
    Without thinking, she donned the cloak and ran out the door. There was no other way out of the hall, and she didn't want to be trapped.  
    Alone again, she quickly made her way to Slytherin. It took some time for her eyes to adjust to the black maze of the dungeons, and longer to finally reach the door. It came as no surprise that it was locked.  
    Ginny held out her wand, and whispered the words Tom Riddle had forced her to whisper years ago, when he wanted to visit his Slytherin dorm once more. Hearing the old and powerful password, the door complied.  
    The dismal common room came into view, and Ginny went straight for the boys rooms. But to her surprise, she could hear whispers behind one door.  
    She tip toed up and peeked through a crack in the door.  
    "Fleur and Hagrid drew closer, their lips touching as they- oh gross!" she could hear Malfoy say, and start sniggering. Two other hushed giggles came from the sides of the room, and Ginny assumed they were Crabbe and Goyle.  
    Draco read on, and Ginny felt an urge to run in the room and kick him.  
    After one bout of laughter died down, she heard a low voice - Goyle she assumed - speak cautiously.  
    "Hey uh, Draco?" he asked from the left side of the room.  
    "What is it?" Draco giggled, apparently re-reading Fleur and Hagrid.  
    "Did she match me with anyone?" he asked.  
    Draco looked up, a rather sour expression on his face.  
    But I did, Ginny thought, wincing. I matched him and-  
    "Honestly Goyle, who would want to go out with you?" Draco muttered as his eyes swept over where Ginny had matched Goyle with Crabbe. He later "accidentally" spilled his bottle of ink on the paper, right on that place in the story, Ginny guessed. For once in her life she thanked Draco. Nobody ever needed to read about that.  
    But her thanks quickly died away, as the boys stayed up later and later. Where were their prefects? Surely they would hear the whispers and come to shut them up. But the minutes went on, and Ginny felt her eyelids droop.  
    She snapped awake. No, she had to stay and get that story from them, even if it took all night. But... she could rest her head on the door, that was OK. And she could just let her eyes close, just to rest them a moment-  
  
    Ginny awoke to a light breeze on her face, and opened her eyes, yawning. But the yawn caught in her throat as she saw black boots just in front of her. Her eyes widened as she looked up and saw their owner.  
    "Time to get up," Snape growled, but not at Ginny. He was glaring at the door just behind her. "Malfoy, I allow you to sit up late under the condition you will wake up on time and fulfill your duties to this school."  
    Ginny could hear rustling behind her, and slow footsteps approach the door. Inches from death either way, she quietly slid away from the door and Snape's boots. Snape looked down, and she froze. But just then the door opened and she silently dove out of Draco's way.  
    "I-" Draco yawned loudly. "I'm sorry Professor. Won't happen again, I'm sure."  
    Ginny stood slowly, and walked softly to the common room, holding the cloak tight against her. She waited for Draco and his gang to leave before slipping into the boys' room.  
    There was the story, lying on the center bed. Draco had obviously chosen the best bunk, which looked like it had just a tad more fluff in the mattress than the other two. That's the way it was with Draco, he always had to be best, she thought. She walked forward, and reached for the parchment, relief flooding through her body.  
    POP! She whirled around to see what had caused the sudden noise. A small human - no, a house elf - had suddenly appeared in the room. Ginny stood in place. How had he gotten in here? But then she saw a hand emerge from the wall behind him, and push itself against the wall. There was another POP, and a second house elf squeezed out of the wall.  
    Without a word, they began making the two beds on the sides. Ginny saw a third hand appear through the wall, and she reached for the parchment. The hand was reaching through the wall, pushing...  
    "EAAAAGH!" one of the elves screamed, as the third POPed into the room. They were now all staring at her - no, through her - at her hand. She had the parchment, but it was taken from her grasp in a flash as one of the house elves snatched it.  
    "Ooooh Peeves," the new, female elf warned. "You leave now. We don't you trouble, no siree..."  
    The three elves stood, waiting for Ginny's exposed hand to leave. She watched the parchment desperately as the elf put it on Draco's night stand and watched her. She had no choice but to go.  
    Empty hearted, she dragged herself back to the Gryffindor tower. Once inside, she took off the cloak and walked carelessly to Harry's room. All the students were in classes, so she was in no danger of getting caught.  
    She was so careless that she didn't hear the portrait door open, and a very hurried Neville bolt up the stairs behind her.  
    "AAAH!" he screamed as he tripped over her, taking the cloak with him. "Now I'm going to be even later for potions. Why did I have to forget my cauldron again-"  
    "Neville!" Ginny gasped.  
    Neville looked at the cloak, then to her.  
    "So THAT's where you were!" he said at last. "You had us worried, you did, not coming back. Harry seemed to know something but wouldn't say-"  
    He stopped, seeing the cold frown on Ginny's face.  
    "If you had said something in the hall yesterday, I wouldn't have needed to sneak out of bed."  
    "Ginny-" he hesitated. "Ginny, I'm sorry. Hermione said I should-"  
    "What, not stick up for your friends?" Ginny yelled. Neville was suddenly quiet. "You could've said something, anything, and I would've gotten that paper back!"  
    "I'm sorry," was all he could say.  
    "Sorry doesn't cut it!" she bellowed, snatching the cloak from his arm. "Do you know what was ON that? I wrote about Harry! I wrote that we were in love! I wrote about Fleur and Hagrid and Nearly Headless Nick with the Fat Lady... oh, and my name is on it! If you had just said SOMETHING!" Ginny could feel tears streaking down her face.  
    Neville sat speechless on the stairs. Ginny rushed past him, and threw the cloak on Harry's bed.  
    "Ginny," he said as he came through the door.  
    "Don't talk to me!" she shrieked.  
    "You need to go to Charms," he said. "You've missed Transfiguration already, right? You need to get to Char-"  
    "Damn Charms!" she shouted, and stalked past him. But as she headed for her room, she realized he was right. She couldn't afford to miss that many classes. So she dried the tears from her eyes, and rushed off to Professor Flitwick's room, absolutely miserable. 


	4. Verbansus transformus

**Chapter 4: Verbansus transformus**  
  
    "Now," Professor Flitwick said, "We're going to-"  
    "Sorry I'm late," Ginny muttered as she slid through the door and into her seat.  
    "Are you quite alright, Miss Weasley?" Professor Flitwick looked somewhat shocked. Ginny realized what a sight she must be. Her hair hadn't been brushed, her robes were all wrinkled, and she probably had dark spots under her tear-stained eyes.  
    "Yes, I'm fine."  
    "Alright then. You may want to open your book to page 423. Now, as you can see, papers can be enchanted to fold on their own-"  
    Ginny let the words flow in one ear and out the other. She stared down at the book, and her stomach growled quietly. Not that I could eat anything right now, she thought.  
    But then something caught her eye on one of the pages. There was a moving illustration on the page, which showed a woman holding a piece of parchment in one hand, and her wand in the other. "Verbansus transformus!" a little speech bubble appeared for her, and she tapped the paper. The words "Words can" suddenly rearranged themselves and transformed into the word, "change".  
    "Now, are there any questions?"  
    "Professor Flitwick?" Ginny's hand shot up. Flitwick was surprised by her again, and nearly fell off his stool at the sudden reaction.  
    "Yes, Miss Weasley?"  
    "Can we learn this word changing charm? Verbansus transformus?"  
    "Oh no!" he said, pushing his hands out in front of him. "And please don't say those words. I'm afraid that is taught in 5th year, as the spell has rather - er - bad effects if you don't get it right. Now-"  
    "But we're old enough, right?" Ginny said, not letting go of this new hope. "We can handle this spell, it's only a simple charm..."  
    "Miss Weasley!" Flitwick looked down at her, a bit angry. "Charms can be just as complex as any other spell. Now, please, leave that one for next year."  
    He continued the lesson, somewhat grumpy at having his area of expertise being called "simple."  
    On her way to lunch, she crossed paths with Harry and his friends. They all kept silent near her, not sure of what to say. Ron kept looking at Harry though, as if to ask what he knew.  
    "Hermione," Ginny grabbed her sleeve as they were entering the Great Hall. "Can I ask you a favor?"  
    Hermione smiled, and walked with Ginny away from the line of students going to lunch. Ginny could see Neville look over at her, then quickly look straight ahead again.  
    "Can you teach me Verbansus Transfor-"  
    "Shush!" Hermione said, backing away from Ginny. "Don't say that?"  
    Ginny sighed angrily. "What's so bad about that spell anyway?"  
    "We just had that spell in Charms the other day." Hermione laughed a bit. "Poor Neville had those words stuck to his forehead until the end of the lesson." She chuckled. "Fortunately he got the hang of it in time to transform them into nothing."  
    Ginny was looking down at the floor, distressed.  
    "I'm sorry Ginny... does this have to do with what Draco has?" Hermione asked.  
    "Yes." Ginny said.  
    "Well..." Hermione winced. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I should teach it to you yet. You haven't worked with words period in charms, and it would take a long time for you to-"  
    "Never mind," Ginny sighed. "Thanks though."  
    Hermione hesitated, then headed off to the hall. Ginny finally got her feet in gear and started turning, but just then Malfoy and his gang came through the door. Ginny wanted to duck out of sight, but there was no where to hide.  
    "Oh!" Draco smiled upon seeing Ginny, then let out a great yawn. "Sorry, late night last night. I was up studying for potions." Crabbe and Goyle snickered.  
    "Malfoy, leave me alone," Ginny felt sick.  
    "Oh don't worry, I have your 'notes' right here." Draco pulled the parchment from his robes, and Ginny's heart leapt.  
    "Give that to me!" she yelled.  
    "Alright," he smiled, dropping it. But then he pulled out his wand and yelled, "Longarium Leviosar!"  
    The paper shot up from the ground on an invisible breeze, and Ginny's hand just missed it as it floated over her head.  
    "What's the matter?" Draco laughed coldly. "Can't reach? Well, I'm only giving others a fighting chance, you know."  
    Ginny wondered what he meant, but he pointed over her shoulder. She turned and could see Peeves advancing down the hall.  
    "No!" Ginny cried, and leapt for the story again. "Accio Parchment!" she tried, but Draco's spell was too strong.  
    "Ooooh, what's this?" Ginny heard a high, menacingly gleeful voice behind her. Peeves snatched the parchment out of the air, and began reading. His eyes widened in amazement, then narrowed in delight.  
    "This is beautiful prose," he giggled. "People simply MUST hear this. In fact it ought to be published.  
    "Put that down, Peeves."  
    Neville had emerged from the Great Hall, and was holding his wand out at the poltergeist.  
    Just then, the other students began to emerge as well. Seeing the situation, some stopped to see what was going on.  
    "I said put it down!" Neville yelled.  
    "Make me!" Peeves said, and blew a raspberry at him.  
    Neville did - or at least he tried. He held out his wand, made a motion with it, and muttered something under his breath. Peeves yelled in surprise as something blue came shooting out of Neville's wand at him. But it hit the parchment and dissolved immediately. Peeves opened his eyes again and saw he was unharmed.  
    Ginny could see Harry, Ron, and Hermione walk through the door and join the gathering crowd.  
    "What's the hold up?" Ron shouted.  
    "Peeves is just about to read us a story," Draco said, and the crowd grew quiet. Ginny could feel her heart crumble.  



	5. Avocado Rinds

**Chapter 5: Avocado Rinds**  
  
    Peeves, excited by the throng of students listening intently to him, adjusted his collar and grinned wickedly.  
    "The sunset is a deep red, like my love for him," he read in an exaggeratedly romantic voice, which made Ginny's stomach twist at the words she had thought brilliant only days ago. "I see him in the halls and smile at him. Will he ever know of my love? Will he ever know how, while we live in separate worlds, he's in my thoughts, close to me? Yes, in a perfect world. In a perfect world, Harry Potter loves me - as much as I love him."  
    Peeves gave the lines some time to sink in. Ginny didn't dare turn her head to see anyone's reaction.  
    "Who wrote THAT?" Alicia Spinnet shouted.  
    "I'll tell you when I'm finished, my sweetyums," Peeves cackled. Oh God, had Ginny written THEM into this story too?  
    Peeves read on, and Ginny's story went into its narrative. Just as he was getting to the part where Fleur and Hagrid started making out, Professor McGonagall came down the hall to see why her students weren't in class yet.  
    "Peeves, what are you up to?" she sighed.  
    "Oh! McGonnygull, there's something in here for you too!" His mischievous ghostly eyes scanned along the parchment, and he began reading again.  
    "But I'm not the only one who found love. I was walking to Potions in this perfect world, when I saw Snape, yes, grimy old Snape, smiling at Professor McGonagall. I stood behind the door, not wanting to interrupt, when I saw them come closer and embrace. I felt tears swell in my eyes, and the two of them kissed deeply, letting the world slip away along with all the hatred they had ever felt towards one another."  
    For once in her life, McGonagall was speechless. Her thin lips were drawn open in a look of horror and disgust. The matter was not at all improved when Snape came gliding down the hall, ready to yell at Gryffindors and Slytherins alike for being so late for Potions.  
    "Ah, there you are Professor," he said coldly to McGonagall. "If you don't mind, I'll take MY half of the students to class now and-"  
    "Oooh, they're having a lover's tiff!" Peeves said with glee, and waved the paper in front of Snape's nose.  
    "What are you talking about, Peeves?" he snapped, suddenly aware of the many students watching his every move. Putting two and two together (and seeing Professor McGonagall's grimace), he glared down at the mass of children in the hall, a dangerous fire burning in his black eyes.  
    "Who wrote it?" he said flatly. Nobody spoke. Ginny could see Draco just in front of her. He coughed, which sounded a lot like stifled laughter.  
    "Is says right here!" Peeves said with delight.  
    Here it comes, Ginny thought. She tried to run away, but her legs didn't seem to be working. Silent tears started running down her cheeks. She felt a hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Neville. She felt all her anger toward him slip away. It wasn't his fault she had written the stupid thing. It wasn't his fault that she had written her name on it. He was guiltless.  
    But then... what did it matter, she realized with a shock, compared to his parents? If Harry knew she liked him, how could that possibly measure up to the pain Neville must go through every day, knowing the two people who should love him the most didn't even know his name? Harry hadn't met his parents either... and he had to live with those terrible muggles every summer. Hermione would have to put up with people looking down on her for the rest of her life, no matter how much smarter she was than them, all because she had two muggles for parents. Suddenly Ginny's problems seemed so small, and no matter how she looked at it, they were the problems of a self-centered, silly little girl.  
    She smiled at Neville, forgiving him. She closed her eyes and waited for her name to ring out in the hall, and for all the students to turn and stare... but Neville squeezed her shoulder, and her eyes opened.  
    Neville winked at her.  
    "LOVINGLY WRITTEN," Peeves shouted, "BY DRACO MALFOY!"  
    A gasp came up from the crowd, and Draco went rigid with shock.  
    "Verbansus transformus," Neville mouthed to a wide-eyed Ginny.  
    "I- I-" Draco tried to get words out but couldn't. His face had gone the color of cauliflower as he stared at the professors in pleading disbelief.  
    There was a very long, nasty silence, which didn't cease until Professors Flitwick and Sprout (hadn't she matched them, too?) came down the hall to claim their students. McGonagall harshly told them to go to their assigned classes, and informed them that each house would lose 50 points for tardiness.  
    "As for you, Mr. Malfoy..." Ginny could hear her say as she was hustled into the Herbology crowd.  
    "I didn't write that!" he finally managed to get out. "It was Ginny! Ginny, come tell them!"  
    Draco turned to Neville, who was waiting to begin Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall. "Neville, you were there, you tell them..."  
    But Neville shrugged. "Sorry, can't seem to remember. Wasn't paying too much attention at the time."  
  


***

  
    When Ginny staggered her way into dinner, Draco wasn't sitting at the table, and Neville wasn't in his spot, either.  
    She sat down, avoiding the eyes of her friends. Would they know it had been her? Fortunately, or unfortunately, they didn't say a word to her. Since she had arrived so late, most everyone had left by the time she finished picking at her food. She looked up to see all the Gryffindors had left but one.  
    Harry.  
    "Yes," she said before he could ask. "I wrote it."  
    He nodded, unsure of whether to stay or not.  
    "I'm sorry," she continued. "I didn't mean for it to get into Malfoy's hands. I hope you weren't embar-"  
    Harry suddenly grinned. "Whatever happens, it was worth the look on Malfoy's face." But then he got a more serious look. "Ginny... did you really mean what you wrote? About me, I mean?"  
    Ginny looked into his green eyes, which were staring intently back into hers. Yes, she began, but then she looked down at his plate and saw the pile of avocado rinds. No matter what she said, he was still stricken with Cho. And if she truly loved him, and wanted what was best...  
    "No," she said. Her heart ached as she smiled warmly, and joked, "To be perfectly honest, I usually matched you with Cho."  
    Harry looked taken aback, and glanced around to be sure no one was watching.  
    "Seriously?" he asked, blushing.  
    "Seriously."  
    Harry smiled somewhat stupidly.  
    Then he reached over the table, took her hand in his, and squeezed it. "Thanks," he said, and bounded off.  
    He passed Neville in the doorway, who nodded to Harry. Ginny sat, holding the fingers Harry had touched in her other hand.  
    "Hey," Neville grinned. When she didn't respond he grew suddenly nervous. "Are- are you still mad?"  
    "No..." she said, still staring at the door. She looked over at Neville. "No."  
    Neville smiled again, and took a seat next to her, starting on the now cold avocado.  
    "You'd better hurry," he said. "You'll be late for potions."  
    "I think I'm going to skip potions today," she said, letting her hands slide away from each other to rest on the table. "I think I'm going to skip potions forever."  
    "Professor McGonagall asked me to stay behind after Transfiguration and... and I think she knows you wrote it, Gin. But don't worry, she won't tell."  
    Ginny nodded. While Snape had no proof that it was her writing, she was certain she would now reside on his most wanted list. She was certain, in fact, that nobody would believe Draco had written it. After all, he and Harry hated each other. And... she thought, she was kind of obvious about liking Harry. People would figure it out.  
    "So," Neville said, seeing her distant expression. "You OK?"  
    "Yeah," she lied. "Just great."  
    Neville swallowed his bit of avocado and rested his elbow on the table. "I just have one question... why didn't you match me with anyone?"  
    "I thought I did..." she began, but stopped to think back. Hadn't she matched him with Hermione? No, she was with Ron. Parvati- no, Seamus. She went down the list and realized she never had come up with a match for Neville.  
    "I guess I didn't. I'm sorry."  
    Neville sighed somewhat sadly. "Ah well. I guess we'll just have to wait for the loves of our lives together, eh?"  
    Ginny smiled, and felt a bit of happiness for the first time that day.  
    "Being single isn't all bad, right?" he went on.  
    "No, I suppose it's not." She stared into the purple sky showing through the enchanted ceiling, and leaned her head against the shoulder of her friend. 


End file.
